


darling you're never fully dressed

by umkimkai



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, F/M, Lowercase, hes just a thot, sorry i just typed this out and didnt beta it or use any sort of uppercase at all, the female oc is just a random and its not in depth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21564259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umkimkai/pseuds/umkimkai
Summary: hendery has always strived to fill his father’s shoes. they come from old money, the kind that cultivates respect, the kind that demands reverence. and of course, the kind that garners attention.
Relationships: Hendery/Female OC
Kudos: 4





	darling you're never fully dressed

**Author's Note:**

> i was overtaken by god herself and needed to write hendery as a dapper 1920s college boy. i would like to note this fic is typed entirely in lowercase!! i just typed this out in a feverish haste and didn't beta anything so please forgive me for any mistakes!

a hat is an incredibly important accessory for man. its 1926 and the world belongs to the rich, extravagance has become normality, decadence is commonplace, and fashion is making strides in the modern world like nothing seen before. to be young and have an inheritance is to be immortal, untouchable, and hendery knows he lives such a life. the burden of immortality, of course, is that one must carry themselves stylishly. people will remember you until the end of time, you may as well be remembered for your beauty. that’s why he takes such care in picking out a hat. after all, the universe affords him all the time he needs. after his bath he dismisses the maid with a sweet smile, knowing she will run to the servants quarters to gush about it. he’s not cruel oh no, he simply enjoys the attention. doesn’t every young god appreciate worship?

he stands in front of his closet, hair still dripping, towel fastened at the waist. a white suit is laid out on the bed, a royal blue dress shirt accompanies it. its impeccable, its classy, its daring all at once. but the entire aura could be thrown off if he doesn’t select the right hat. he finally settles on a white panama hat. there’s a blue ribbon wrapped around the base, and it just perfectly matches his shirt. he smiles, reminding himself to thank his shopper when he gets the chance. kun’s taste is impeccable. 

he gets dressed on his own, standing in front of a mirror to admire his appearance. his hat is tilted low over his face, perhaps a little too much like a gangster for his father’s liking. hendery doesn’t care, he thinks it makes him look daring. he makes his way downstairs, hat and cane in hand, pausing in the dining room to greet his mother with a kiss to her cheek. he stands behind her chair, hands on her shoulders. 

“good morning darling,” she says over the warble of the radio, giving him a radiant smile. 

“morning mother, what’s for breakfast?”

“why should i bother telling you what the cook made if you won’t stick around to eat it?” she asks, sipping coffee from a tea set more expensive than hendery’s tuition. 

he gives a hearty laugh, grabbing a piece of toast from the layout on the table and taking a bite. “i’m a modern man, i’ve got to run to college. how could i afford the luxury of a lazy meal.”

“its not a luxury to simply spend time with your mother,” she chastises him, standing up to fix his tie. “and i’d hardly call you a man. being in harvard university doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly become your father.” 

hendery gives her a wink. “but i’ll be him soon, yeah?”

“those are incredibly large shoes you’d need to fill young man.” she sits down, turning back to coffee. “run along and do well in your classes, then we’ll see how much you’re like your father.”

hendery takes his dismissal with grace, grabbing one last piece of toast and waving to his mother. “it’d do you good to smile, mother. you’re never fully dressed without one!”

she doesn’t look up from the newspaper in front of her, merely pursing her lips in amusement. 

~

hendery has always strived to fill his father’s shoes. they come from old money, the kind that cultivates respect, the kind that demands reverence. and of course, the kind that garners attention. 

its routine for hendery to find himself in a situation like this, a cramped janitor’s closet with a girl whos the cousin of some classmate or another, a hand against the nape of her neck to hold her close as he kisses the length of her throat. she breathes out a sigh, confesses her love to him possibly. he’s not listening. 

when they’re finished, of course she’s discreet. it would be shameful for her not to be. besides, who would believe them? he walks her out of the building, no woman would be seen in harvard without a chaperone, and he is a gentleman of course. she leaves with a breathless smile, her cheeks far more red than when she’d entered. he gives a wave, tells her she’s beautiful, and hurries to the bathroom to make sure she didn’t get lipstick on his suit. its of course, as pristine as ever. he even makes it to his mathematics class on time. 

he saunters in and the class cheers, greeting him like they’re all old friends. he’s known some of them for ages of course, family ties and whatnot. he can stand none of them. save for the boy sitting in the back, quiet and sweet. hendery sits next to him, kicking his legs up on the lecture hall’s desk. 

“you’re pushing it, don’t you think?” xiaojun says, using two fingers to move his glasses up his nose and giving hendery a reproachful look. 

“i have no idea what you mean,” hendery says with a cheshire cat smile, flicking his perfectly styled hair out of his eyes. 

xiaojun rolls his eyes. the boy is ridiculously tiny really, hendery thinks. he’s pretty like hendery, but not as stylish. the glasses for one make him seem more intelligent, but less suave. and xiaojun rarely wears a suit, only ever donning dress pants and vests over the latest Oxford shirts. hendery at least gives him that point. 

“don’t you think that messing around with every girl who happens to walk in here with her brother will one day catch up to you? if you end up pissing off the wrong family neither i nor your daddy will come save you.”

“as if i would rely on your skinny arms to save me in the first place,” hendery teases, giving his best friend a wink. 

“i’m being serious.”

“you always are. come to a speakeasy with me tonight, maybe you’ll smile for once, darling.”

before xiaojun can protest, their (ancient) professor enters the room, and hendery takes his feet off the desk. 

~

“i feel incredibly uncomfortable,” xiaojun states, sitting at a table for 4 with hendery. the room is tiny and cramped with men in suits, ladies in short dresses, and filled with so much cigar smoke xiaojun keeps wiping his glasses. 

“oh lighten up my little mouse,” hendery says, waving down a waitress. she’s plain, but wearing an incredibly bright red lipstick. hendery orders scotch on the rocks, xiaojun asks for club soda. she walks away, and hendery leans over the table. “come on my friend, what happened to you? when we were young you’d humor all of my bad ideas.”

“because i didn’t know any better,” xiaojun groans. “now i do, and i don’t want to be caught in this. its illegal to be here.’

“so?” hendery nods to a man behind xiaojun. “the governor of massachusetts is here, i doubt we’ll be caught anytime soon.”

xiaojun turns and sure enough, there’s the governor, relaxing at a large table. there’s a woman on his arm in a green dress. and she’s far too young and too blonde to be his wife. xiaojun looks back at hendery. 

“justifying your actions against those who are in power does not make you right.”

“am i talking with goddamn socrates? lighten the hell up. you’re getting me in a bad mood.” 

the waitress returns with their drinks, setting a tray down. hendery tips his hat to her. “thanks darling.”

“must you talk like that? you sound absolutely full of yourself.”

“i’m just trying to sound classy.”

“no, you’re trying to sound older. like a radio host, or a star from one of those picture shows.” xiaojun sips his soda. “acting older won’t automatically make you your father, acting responsibly will.”

hendery stares at his friend his eyes narrowed. “and you think you know me well enough to come to that conclusion?”

“i know i know you well enough.” 

hendery’s face remains impassive, then brightens up as he plasters a grin onto his face. “well there’s no point thinking about something so grim. come on, have some of my drink. then ask a girl to dance why don’t you? the last woman you talked to was probably your mother, go put yourself out there.”

xiaojun sighs, knowing hendery’s ways of deflecting. “if i dance with a girl, will you leave me alone about this?”

“scout’s honor i will.”

“fine.” xiaojun swipes hendery’s glass, downing the rest of the drink and standing up, taking a look around the room. 

“and xiaojun my darling.” 

the smaller boy looks at his long time friend. 

“put on a smile.”

**Author's Note:**

> please give me any feedback you may have, i have some ideas for this au but i am open to suggestions! and kudos appreciated mwah mwah


End file.
